Door



L. CHARTIER May 17, 1938.

DOOR

Filed April 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l orneys Patented May 17, 1938 NTED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR- Louis Chartier, Schenectady, N. Y.

Application April 9, 1937, Serial No. 136,007

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-35) My invention relates to improvements in doors, particularly automobile doors such as are used in buses, and the primary object thereof is to provide an inexpensive means for removably securing a glass panel in the door frame quickly and with a minimum expenditure of labor and material.

To the accomplishment of the above and subordinate objects presently appearing a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the following description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a door embodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical transverse s-ection taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of a keeper frame forming part of my invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View in side elevation looking at the opposite side of the door from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a. fragmentary view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking downwardly and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 6 is a View in perspective of a keeper strip for retaining the keeper frame in position.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, according to my invention the door frame I, in this instance of rectangular form, is rabbeted around the inne-r edge thereof to provide a rectangular seat 2 and an abutment flange 3 on one side of the frame extending around the inner edge of the latter. The seat 2 is designed to receive the usual glass panel 4 which is retained in position on one side of the frame I by the aforesaid ange 3. At the side of the panel 4 opposite to the flange 3 the frame I is channeled around the inner edges of its bottom and sides to a uniform depth, as at 5 and 6, respectively and the top of said frame is cut away or reduced in thickness on the channeled side of said frame to a depth corresponding to the plane of the inner side of the channels 5 and 6 to thereby form a socket 'I into which the side channels 6 open, said socket having inwardly bevelled ends for a purpose presently seen. Mounted in the channels 5 and 6 to extend part way into the socket 'I is a rectangular keeper frame 8 of flat resilient metal overlying at its inner edges the opposed edges of the panel 4. The' sides 9 of the keeper frame 8 have formed in their outer edges, substantially midway of said ends, bayonet slots Ill each receiving a pin I2 passing through the channeled part of the corresponding side of the door frame I as best shown in Figure 5. The channels 5 and 6 are spaced slightly from the panel 4 and interposed between said panels and keeper frame 8 is padding strip I3 of felt or other suitable material extending completely around said panel and retaining or keeper frame. The keeper frame 8 is held in the channels 5 and 5 by aV keeper strip I4 secured in the socket 1 by means of screws I5 passing through said strips I4 and the frame I beyond the adjacent end of the glass panel 4. As best shown in Figure l the keeper strip I4 overlaps the upper end of the keeper fram-e 8 for a purpose presently apparent and is formed with bevelled ends I6 fitting against lthe aforementioned bevelled ends of the socket 'l to prevent said strip from sagging and thereby destroying the continuity of the upper end of the structure.

When it is desired to assemble the described door structure, the glass panel 4 is placed in position on the seat 2 against the flange 3. The keeper frame 8 is then exed or bowed, at its ends so that the sides 9 thereof may be inserted in the side channels 6, it being understood that during this operation the lower end of the keeper frame is held above the bottom channel 5. Upon release of the ilexed keeper frame 8, as will be clear the sides 9 thereof will spring into the side channels 5 against the pins I3. It may be stated at this point that the bayonet slots IU and pins I3 are located so that in th-e described elevated position of the keeper frame 8 said slots and pins are out of registry. The keeper frame 8 is next forced downwardly into the bottom channel 5 during which operation the bayonet slo'ts I0 are moved into registration with the pins I3 and the latter enter said slots and interlock with the same in a manner which will be obvious. As soon as the pins I3 enter the bayonet slots I0 the sides 9 of the keeper frame seat themselves in the side channels 6. The keeper strip I4 is next secured in position, as described, thereby locking the keeper frame against removal from the door frame I. Obviously the glass panel 4 may be removed from the door frame I by reversing the procedure described in securing said panel in said frame. The keeper strip I4 is provided with a rabbeted inner face, as at I1, fitting over the upper edge of the keeper frame 8 as best shown in Figure 2 whereby said frame 8 is securely held against endwise play in an upward direction.

The foregoing constitutes a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention and it is believed that advantages and operation thereof will be clear without further explanation.

It is to be understood, however, that the present disclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive and that right is herein reserved to changes and modifications in details described falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim isz- 1'. A door structure comprising a rectangular frame rabbeted around the inner edges of the bottom and sides thereof to provide a seat extending around said inner edges and a flange on one side of said seat, said seat being grooved to provide a bottom and side channels in said frame at one side of said flange, and the top of the frame on the channeled side thereof being reduced intermediate the side channels to form a socket into which said side channels open, a panel disposed in said frame against said seat, a rectangular keeper frame'itting in said channels and socket to overlie the edges of said panel on the side thereof opposite said flange, said keeper frame being formed of resilient metal for bending at its ends to insert the sides thereof into the side channels and for reaction of said ends to spring the sid-es of the frame into the side channels, and a keeper strip removably secured in said socket and overlying the top edge of said keeper frame.

2. A door structure comprising a rectangular frame rabbeted around the inner edges of the bottom and sides thereof to provide a seat extending around said inner edges and a flange on one side of said seat, said seat being grooved to provide bottom and side channels in said frame at one side of said flange and the top of the frame on the channeled side thereof being reduced intermediate the side channels to form a socket into which said side channels open, a panel disposed in said frame against said seat, a rectangular keeper frame fitting in said channels and socket to overlie the edges of said panel on the side thereof opposite said flange, said keeper frame being formed of resilient metal for bending at its ends to insert the sides thereof into the side channels and for reaction of said ends to spring the sides of the frame into the side channels, a keeper strip removably secured in said socket and overlying the top edge of said keeper frame, and a packing strip of resilient material interposed between said panel and the overlying edges of said keeper frame.

3. A door structure comprising a rectangular frame rabbeted around the inner edges of the bottom and sides thereof to provide a seat eX- tending around said inner edges and a flange on one side of said seat, said seat being grooved to provide bottom and side channels in said frame at one side of said flange, and the top of the frame on the channeled side thereof being reduced in thickness intermediate the side channels to form a socket into which side channels open, a panel disposed in said frame against said seat, a rectangular keeper frame slidably fitting into said channels and socket to overlie the edges of said panel on the side thereof opposite said flange, said keeper frame being formed of resilient metal for bending at its ends to insert the sides thereof into the side channels and for reaction of said ends to spring the sides of the frame into the side channels, said keeper frame having a pair of bayonet slots in the outer side edges thereof, respectively, and the door frame having a pair of pins therein extending into the side channels and entering said slots as an incident to springing of said keeper frame, and a keeper strip removably secured in said socket and overlying the top edge of said keeper frame.

LOUIS CHARTIER. 

